NEWSLETTER

OUR MISSION: To protect and preserve our natural heritage and help build an environmental culture while developing a Botanical Garden dedicated to Mexican flora and providing an oasis of peace and tranquility for all.

Please tell your friends and prospective members/supporters how to access the newsletter and help broaden the base of support for the Botanical Garden.

THE START OF A NEW YEAR

Among atypical intense rains, cold and sunny days , we close another year in El Charco del Ingenio with important achievements, both in the field of conservation and environmental education . One of the greatest satisfactions has been the growing influx of school children and youngsters from diverse backgrounds , who were in El Charco sowing the seeds of a new culture of care and respect for nature . We hope that these seeds germinate and sprout new generations of men and women able to confront and reverse the trend of our society , more and more destructive of the natural world , without which we can not live on Earth. The voracious predation and fragmentation of ecosystems , extinction of plant and animal species , depletion of water tables , pollution of soil and water , disappearance of the green areas for urbanization, are the heads of the monster that new generations will face in our country, in our state, in our city . And they will do so with the weapons of knowledge , sense of responsibility , ability to outrage and love for the Earth. Because these seeds germinate among the younger , that is our greatest wish for the new year , for years to come ...

DOG PARK

It is clear that the essential mission of El Charco del Ingenio as a Botanical Garden is the conservation, study and promotion of the flora, both the native one growing in the preserve as well as the one from our collection of Mexican plants . However , El Charco since its founding in 1991 has also been a community center, open to all sectors and interests of San Miguel. In the early years, pet access was free, but it was soon necessary to restrict this presence in order to preserve the ecosystem and flora . Of course there was resistance and nonconformity of a sector of users. After several trials , the Board of the Botanical Garden, in 2011, agreed to assign a couple of acres adjacent to the urban area ( Balcones ), for the creation of a dog park, an isolated area where the presence of the dogs does not significantly affect the ecosystem of the preserve. This park has operated since then for members of the Garden, with minimal elements and usage rules, which have been unevenly respected by users.
Currently El Charco, with the enormous economic burden of caring for the preserve and its botanical collections , does not have the resources to pay for the monitoring and maintenance of the Dog Park . The membership fee alone is clearly insufficient for this. For such a space to continue to function as a dog park will require additional support from the users , which may be economic or otherwise.
In order to discuss possible solutions and provide ideas about the park, the Board will hold an open meeting with people who currently use or may want to use the Dog Park on Friday January 17 at 11 am at the Dome in the Botanical Garden. Any questions or queries , please contact the director, Mario Hernández :
elcharcodirección@gmail.com

WISH LIST

El Charco del Ingenio is in need of many items. Below is a list of items to help us with our mission of protecting this nature preserve and providing environmental education across central Mexico.

If you have any of the items below or can donate the equivalent in pesos you will be helping to support a great, local cause.

❂ For our custodians who keep a watchful eye on every corner of el Charco: four sets of good binoculars
❂ For the gardeners: two professional weed cutters
❂ For the café: a good stove
❂ For the naturalists: a second wildlife camera
❂ For the science center: Telescope to observe birds
❂ For the office: multifunctional printer
❂ Communication: semi-pro camera (Nikon D7100, Canon EOS Rebel T3 )
❂ For the greenhouse: sandboxes for screening, plant trays

WILDLIFE CAMERA

El Charco now owns a wildlife camera. This device takes pictures and videos day and night when wildlife moves within its range and it has a flash that the animals can’t see. The camera has recorded a number of different animals, and a couple of surprises. The two short videos below give a little glimpse into the ‘wild’ life of El Charco:

MEMBERSHIP PARTY

The B&B Posada Corazon had the perfect atmosphere to warmly greet attendees at our Membership Party 2013, where, in addition to enjoying a wide variety of appetizers made with organic ingredients, drinks and live music, people could purchase their annual membership at a special price.
Thanks to all our new and renewed members for their contribution to this conservation project.

LAND ART SHOW CONTINUES…

We invite all our readers to visit the Botanical Garden and discover along your route the works contained in this exposition. The pieces are ephemeral and are gradually reintegrated into nature in a process marked by time and the elements.
On the website, you will find an interactive map with photographs and information about the artists, materials, methods and description of the work.
El Charco del Ingenio, a space-also - for Art.
See Map
El Charco del Ingenio, un espacio –también-- para el Arte.

MARISA ÁVALOS: COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR OF EL CHARCO

In recent months, Marisa has been in charge of this vital and multifaceted role at the Botanical Garden, developing the work with professionalism, efficiency and enthusiasm, in conjunction with the board and staff of Charco. Her performance during the Hummingbird Festival and the Land Art Show were more than deserving of high praise, as is the editorial coordination of this Newsletter. We are pleased to confirm Marisa’s integration into the team as Director of Communicaton.Welcome, Marisa!

MARTIN SMITH : A TEMPORARY RETURN TO EL CHARCO

At the turn of the century, during the most difficult time of establishing the collection of Mexican plants of the Botanical Garden, out of the blue came from his native England to Charco a character with a knowledge of cacti and succulents only matched by his passion for these amazing plants of Mexico . It was shortly after the death of Charles Glass, the creator of the collection, that Martin Smith willingly held the post of curator , and worked relentlessly for several years. The result of his presence was multiple : besides the rescue and clean up of the plants in the collection, he trained the staff at El Charco in conservation techniques and propagation , designed and personally executed the plantings in the Conservatory of Mexican Plants , the Garden of Agaves and the reception area, spaces which for years have attracted admiring thousands of visitors . He has published numerous articles and texts on the topic that has fascinated him since childhood : cacti.
The vicissitudes of life kept him away from Mexico and, after several years, Martin is again with us for two months ( January and February) .
The plants and staff of El Charco missed you, Martin !

A GALLERY OF AGAVES

A couple of weeks ago we received a visit from Daina Ventura and Aldo Delladdio, who kindly undertook a mission: deliver a copy of the recently published book, A Gallery of Agaves, compiled by John Pilbeam and published by the British Cactus & Succulent Society, 2013, Essex , UK. It is a very comprehensive book on this amazing botanical family, illustrated with excellent photographs, and in which copies of the collection of agaves from Charco del Ingenio appear.
For this significant gesture, we thank John, Daina and Aldo, and we are honored to have them among our friends.
To purchase a copy of this book, go to the link:
(agaves.pdf )

BENEFIT CONCERT FOR EL CHARCO: THE SOOKE ORCHESTRA

Wednesday, February 26, 5p.m.
St Paul’s Church, Cardo #6

Friends of El Charco extend far and wide and are united by a common willingness to offer support to the botanical garden. On Wednesday, February 26 at 5pm a group of 15 members of the Sooke Philarmonic and friends of Sooke Chamber Players will give a chamber music concert at St. Paul's Church in memoriam of El Charco del Ingenio advocate Bob Haas .
After Bob passed in April 2013 the Botanical Gardens created a lookout at one of Bob’s favorite places. The intimate spot offers a beautiful place to commune with the beauty of El Charco with breathtaking views of the canyon, the ‘presa’ and waterfall.

All proceeds from the concert will benefit El Charco. The Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1997 by Norman Nelson and small ensembles often perform at community events and fundraisers. The program will consist of pieces by Mozart, Bach, Telemann and Vivaldi. Tickets go on sale mid-January and will be available at the Garden's Reception area, Posada Corazon (Aldama 9) and at Camino Silvestre (Correo 43 and Zacateros 46).

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 26!

EL CHARCO JOINS THE DEFENSE OF THE SIERRA GORDA BIOSPHERE

The Botanical Garden of San Miguel de Allende publicly manifested their solidarity with the movement in defense of the Biosphere Reserve of the Sierra Gorda of Guanajuato, extraordinary natural area protected by a federal decree in 2011 and currently threatened by the expansion of mining extractive interests and millionaires. Various mining companies, domestic and foreign, pressured for months and by various medias the local and national authorities to amend the protected area, with a view to abusive and predatory mining. Fortunately, the citizen outcry against the destruction of the Biosphere Reserve rose sufficiently to require the federal government to respect the conservation of one of the most important strongholds of biodiversity in the country. Mining out of the Biosphere Reserve!

THE SLEEPING BEAUTIES

The rains have passed and most of the landscape of our country has begun to change color from green to various shades of orange and yellow . Some people do not like this change and consider that " it looks ugly ", however , it’s another of the wonderful processes occurring in nature, which allows the survival of many plants. This phenomenon is known as dormancy , and as you can imagine, means that most of the plants, especially grasses , enter a state of low metabolism, the equivalent of hibernation in animals , only dormancy occurs as a result of the lack of water and low temperatures that could burn tissues and kill the plants. It might seem that the plants have died and that happens with the parts of them that we see on the surface, but they survive thanks to their roots and thick stems that store water and sugars , such as potatoes and carrots. Other plants do die completely , but during the season of abundance produced hundreds or thousands of seeds remaining in the soil , also asleep , waiting for better times to germinate. So every year we are fortunate to see this show of renewal which reminds us that life is made of changes to which we must adapt .

SPANISH MOSS AND PAIXTLE, SMALL BUT WONDERFUL PLANTS

Do you know what Spanish moss is ? This plant that we see in these times so abundantly adorning nativity scenes and other Christmas arrangements , and that looks like a fluffy gray -green mattress. This is a cousin of Paixtle , that other plant that we can see covering certain trees and plants in our region or even growing on the electricity wires! . If you look at these two Bromeliad species more closely, you will notice that they are very similar , except that Paixtle grows tighter and rounded , while Spanish moss hangs long from the branches of trees. Believe it or not , these plants are not parasitic , but through millions of years of evolution learned to grow on other plants to reach sunlight and moisture from rain and fog . These amazing plants get their food from the wind and sun , the soil which reaches them is retained in the hairs of their body and thus they capture minerals and other nutrients , while their strong roots to the branches or wires are attached. To differentiate from a parasite, these plants are called epiphytes (epi = over , fitos = ground ) and do not have their roots in the host plant and therefore will not feed on it , although if they proliferate they can limit the shoots of the trees and help to weaken it and it can then be attacked by diseases, fungal or true parasitic plants. Amazing, is not it?

MORE ACTIVITIES FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY

Bird-watching Tours

Every first and third Wednesday of the month, 9 am – 11:30 am. English Cost: 100 pesos general public | 60 pesos El Charco members
Guides include Signe Hammer, Norman Besman, Luke Rich and Michael Wheatcroft.
The walks are for birders of all levels. They begin at 9:00 am and last about 2 1/2 hours. No reservations needed, and feel free to leave the walk at any time. Please bring binoculars, wear comfortable walking shoes and a hat, and bring water. Your guide will meet you after you pass through the Reception area of the Botanical Garden.

¡Ven a pajarear con nosotros, te sorprenderàs!

More information: charcodelingeniocomunicacion@gmail.com

Guided Tours in El Charco

Martes y jueves 10 am

Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am| in English
Duration: two hours Cost: $80 pesos, members $50

Visit the Conservatory of Mexican Plants, the Scented Garden and the canyon, archeological ruins and much more. We recommend you wear sunscreen, and bring a hat. With some luck, we will have some rainy days still in September.

THE FULL MOON CEREMONY

Thursday, January 16th | 7p.m. | Plaza of 4 Winds |

We invite everyone to this open celebration that has been taking place for many years during the full moon cycle at the Four Winds Plaza in the Botanical Garden under the always surprising direction of Alicia Mayo. It’s worth arriving a little early to admire the setting of the sun and the appearance of the moon over the mountains. You may want to bring a coat for cool evenings and you may bring a musical instrument.
Alicia Mayo : 152 .0376.

This sweat-lodge steam bath, of ritual and healing character, takes place under the direction of an experienced temazcal leader in the ruins of the hacienda located in the Botanical Garden on the far side of the reservoir.
The combination of heat, humidity and fragrant herbs provides a purifying experience for the body and spirit. Its benefits are multiple: it activates circulation, increases the body’s defenses, eliminates pains, decreases uric acid, relaxes the muscles, regulates the nervous system, stimulates respiration and is excellent for losing weight.

At the Cafeteria…

For this winter, come and enjoy hot beverages that are prepared
with the most natural ingredients. And for the sunny weather, aguamiel, an energetic maguey juice just extracted in El Charco.

In the Gift Shop…

Agaves for the garden, lavender, rosemary, succulents and cacti are ready for your house and garden in our plant sale area.